Pisgah Legal Services could lose half of its funding

Published: Sunday, April 28, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 26, 2013 at 4:15 p.m.

ASHEVILLE — Pisgah Legal Services, a nonprofit that assists domestic violence victims, has seen violence increase and the death toll rise. The organization now faces another challenge — the loss of 55 percent of its budget and only being able to help half as many victims.

Pisgah Legal Services will lose $330,000 of its $600,000 budget as federal grants end next fiscal year. Last year, the nonprofit helped more than 4,300 people, primarily women and children, escape domestic violence through free legal aid.

Now, advocates fear they will only be able to help half as many in the six counties Pisgah serves. Those counties (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania) claimed 11 of the 122 domestic violence-related deaths in the state last year.

Four people died from domestic violence in Henderson County in 2012.

“There is such a big demand for (our) services in Henderson County,” said Judi Bertrand, Pisgah’s managing attorney.

That demand for services has been on the rise, she added.

Mainstay Executive Director Tanya Blackford said her organiztion has seen a rise as well, not just in the number of clients but also in the intensity of violence in the domestic cases they work with. She points to diminished services for mental health clients and substance abusers as factors in the rise.

Mental health and substance abuse agencies across the state lost about $40 million in funding last year in state budget cuts and from a draining pool of federal grant funds. The cuts came a year after lawmakers took another $45 million from mental health providers, according to North Carolina Health News.

Advocates say domestic abusers often need help with other issues, including mental health and substance abuse.

“These funding cuts will dramatically reduce our ability to provide legal services for people who are quite literally in life-or-death situations,” Pisgah’s Executive Director Jim Barrett said in a news release.

A majority of the nonprofit’s caseload (85-90 percent) for domestic violence victims involves helping them obtain protective orders to escape their abusers, but now their safety net is fraying.

The largest cut to Pisgah’s budget came from the Governor’s Crime Commission in a letter dated April 9, in which the group’s application for continued funding at $210,000 per year was denied, according to the release.

“The Crime Commission allocates federal funds that pass through the state. Pisgah also learned recently that it will receive at least $120,000 less from the U.S. Department of Justice for domestic violence services in 2014, due to a change in DOJ grant guidelines,” the release says. “Pisgah expects to receive $66,000 from the Crime Commission this year toward its domestic violence work as a result of last year’s grants.”

Pisgah officials say that if they are unable to bridge the funding gap, “it could result in the elimination of up to seven legal staff positions dedicated to helping victims desperately trying to escape abuse. That sum is approximately half of the existing revenues for Pisgah’s effective domestic violence prevention services. Without replacement funding, as many as 2,200 victims of domestic violence per year might not be served.”

Victims of domestic violence often don’t have the resources to leave, Barrett said. They “need legal aid to secure protective orders from the courts and to obtain other remedies provided under the law,” according to the release.

“A victim of crime has considerable difficulty in obtaining these remedies without an attorney. Without legal assistance to secure child custody, rights to the family home and vehicle, and other financial resources, victims often feel forced to return to their abusers for economic reasons or to protect their children,” the release says. “In these cases, given the opportunity and funding, Pisgah attorneys and court advocates stand beside these victims – literally and figuratively – in the courtroom.”

Pisgah Legal Services has provided free civil legal assistance to thousands of low-income victims of domestic violence in Western North Carolina for more than 30 years.

The nonprofit sought additional funding from the Crime Commission this year to try to make up for $120,000 per year that Pisgah will no longer receive from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2014.

“In order to avoid reducing services to domestic violence victims, Pisgah must secure at least $330,000 in replacement funding. Pisgah is seeking program support from the N.C. General Assembly, the affected counties, and from local individuals, faith groups and businesses who want to help thousands of local women and children escape the ravages of domestic violence,” the release says.

To learn more about Pisgah Legal Services, visit www.pisghalegal.org. To make a gift to support the work of Pisgah, visit the website or mail to: PLS, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville, NC 28802. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

<p>ASHEVILLE — Pisgah Legal Services, a nonprofit that assists domestic violence victims, has seen violence increase and the death toll rise. The organization now faces another challenge — the loss of 55 percent of its budget and only being able to help half as many victims. </p><p>Pisgah Legal Services will lose $330,000 of its $600,000 budget as federal grants end next fiscal year. Last year, the nonprofit helped more than 4,300 people, primarily women and children, escape domestic violence through free legal aid. </p><p>Now, advocates fear they will only be able to help half as many in the six counties Pisgah serves. Those counties (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania) claimed 11 of the 122 domestic violence-related deaths in the state last year.</p><p>Four people died from domestic violence in Henderson County in 2012.</p><p>“There is such a big demand for (our) services in Henderson County,” said Judi Bertrand, Pisgah's managing attorney.</p><p>That demand for services has been on the rise, she added. </p><p>Mainstay Executive Director Tanya Blackford said her organiztion has seen a rise as well, not just in the number of clients but also in the intensity of violence in the domestic cases they work with. She points to diminished services for mental health clients and substance abusers as factors in the rise.</p><p>Mental health and substance abuse agencies across the state lost about $40 million in funding last year in state budget cuts and from a draining pool of federal grant funds. The cuts came a year after lawmakers took another $45 million from mental health providers, according to North Carolina Health News.</p><p>Advocates say domestic abusers often need help with other issues, including mental health and substance abuse.</p><p>“These funding cuts will dramatically reduce our ability to provide legal services for people who are quite literally in life-or-death situations,” Pisgah's Executive Director Jim Barrett said in a news release.</p><p>A majority of the nonprofit's caseload (85-90 percent) for domestic violence victims involves helping them obtain protective orders to escape their abusers, but now their safety net is fraying.</p><p>The largest cut to Pisgah's budget came from the Governor's Crime Commission in a letter dated April 9, in which the group's application for continued funding at $210,000 per year was denied, according to the release. </p><p>“The Crime Commission allocates federal funds that pass through the state. Pisgah also learned recently that it will receive at least $120,000 less from the U.S. Department of Justice for domestic violence services in 2014, due to a change in DOJ grant guidelines,” the release says. “Pisgah expects to receive $66,000 from the Crime Commission this year toward its domestic violence work as a result of last year's grants.” </p><p>Pisgah officials say that if they are unable to bridge the funding gap, “it could result in the elimination of up to seven legal staff positions dedicated to helping victims desperately trying to escape abuse. That sum is approximately half of the existing revenues for Pisgah's effective domestic violence prevention services. Without replacement funding, as many as 2,200 victims of domestic violence per year might not be served.” </p><p>Victims of domestic violence often don't have the resources to leave, Barrett said. They “need legal aid to secure protective orders from the courts and to obtain other remedies provided under the law,” according to the release. </p><p>“A victim of crime has considerable difficulty in obtaining these remedies without an attorney. Without legal assistance to secure child custody, rights to the family home and vehicle, and other financial resources, victims often feel forced to return to their abusers for economic reasons or to protect their children,” the release says. “In these cases, given the opportunity and funding, Pisgah attorneys and court advocates stand beside these victims – literally and figuratively – in the courtroom.”</p><p>Pisgah Legal Services has provided free civil legal assistance to thousands of low-income victims of domestic violence in Western North Carolina for more than 30 years. </p><p>The nonprofit sought additional funding from the Crime Commission this year to try to make up for $120,000 per year that Pisgah will no longer receive from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2014. </p><p>“In order to avoid reducing services to domestic violence victims, Pisgah must secure at least $330,000 in replacement funding. Pisgah is seeking program support from the N.C. General Assembly, the affected counties, and from local individuals, faith groups and businesses who want to help thousands of local women and children escape the ravages of domestic violence,” the release says. </p><p>To learn more about Pisgah Legal Services, visit www.pisghalegal.org. To make a gift to support the work of Pisgah, visit the website or mail to: PLS, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville, NC 28802. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. </p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>